Positive Feed Tool with a Modular Architecture
AssigneeApex Brands, Inc.
InventorKevin Myhill
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Positive feed tools that include gear heads configured to be driven by a motor. The gear heads further include a pneumatic manifold that provides for access to input/output signals to add on additional components that include additional air logic functionality. The gear head includes first and second interface positions. Each interface is configured to receive either the motor for powering the gear head or an add-on component to provide additional functionality to the tool.
Claims14
A gear head for a positive feed tool that is configured for engagement with a motor and an add-on component, the gear head including:
- a spindle having an elongated shape and configured to move in advance and retract directions along a feed path;
- a plurality of gears configured to be driven to rotate the spindle and move the spindle along the feed path;
- an air manifold;
- first and second manifold interfaces each in communication with the air manifold and including a common number and arrangement of ports to receive either the motor or the add-on component.
A method of operating a positive feed tool comprising:
- aligning a motor interface of a motor that includes a first port arrangement with a first manifold interface on a gear head that includes a second port arrangement and attaching the motor to the gear head at the first manifold interface;
- aligning a component interface of a component that includes a third port arrangement with a second manifold interface on the gear head that includes a fourth port arrangement and attaching the component to the gear head at the second manifold interface;
- wherein each of the first, second, third, and fourth port arrangements include the same number of ports and the same layout of the ports;
- activating the motor and driving a spindle in the gear head along a feed path;
- and
- activating an input on the component and controlling the spindle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.